Coloquinte

The true coloquinte is a long-lived Plante herbaceous of the family of the Cucurbitacées. She is cultivated in the tropical countries like medicinal Plante for the pulp of her fruits, which is bitter and toxic.

Scientific name: Citrullus colocynthis (L.) Schrad., family of the Cucurbitaceous , subfamily of the Cucurbitoideae , tribe of the Benincaseae , subgroup of the Benincasinae .

NB: This name also indicates in French of many marrows, or cucurbitaceous various and varied.

Common nouns: Officinal Coloquinte, coloquinte. of: Koloquinte, in: colocynth, bitter-APPLE, be: coloquíntida .

Description

It is a herbaceous, annual or long-lived crawling plant, with angular and hard stems. The sheets, alternate, long from 5 to 10 cm, have a limb cut out into 5 to 7 lobes separated by broad sines, the central lobe is sometimes oval. The flowers monoïques, solitary, appear the summer with the armpit of the sheets. The yellow corolla of color comprises five lobes.

The spherical Fruit from 5 to 10 cm in diameter (of the size of a small orange), resembling small a Water melon, of green color shandy of clear yellow, becomes completely yellow with maturity. The flesh light, spongy, of yellow color orange, is very bitter and toxic. The many ovoid and flattened seeds, of color varying from orange to brown the noirâtre, are edible.

The substances giving bitter savor are the Colocynthine and the Colocynthétine.

There exists a certain confusion between this species and the Pastèque, whose seeds are used in the same way and who formerly bore the scientific name of Colocynthis citrullus .

Origin and distribution

The coloquinte is a plant which one finds in the Old world. This species would be originating in the sandy ic areas Désert of Africa. It would have been cultivated already at the time of the Assyrians. Spread by the culture, in particular in North Africa and India.

This plant is quoted under the name of Coloquintida in the Capitulaire De Villis among the plants recommended for the gardens of the kingdom. Sculptures of coloquintes decorated the Temple of Solomon to Jerusalem (the Bible).

Use

The dried pulp of the fruit collected before complete maturity is a Laxatif violent one. It is also used like antirhumatismal, anthelminthic, and like remedy against the infections of the skin.

The Seed S, edible, clearly contain 30 to 40% of a yellow oil, which contains a Alcaloïde, a Glucoside and a Saponine. These torrefied seeds , rich in Lipid S and Protein S, have a nut taste and are consumed whole in certain countries of Africa.

The roots have purgative properties and are used against the Jaunisse, the Rhumatisme S and the diseases urinary.

Small the coloquintes decorative, often sold in the trade, with the very varied and often two-tone forms yellow and green, the two colors being separated by a clear horizontal line, are forms of Cucurbita pepo , the species which gives our Zucchini S, Courge S and well-known Pâtisson S.

External bond

Information oilseed

is used

See too

Cucurbitaceous | Marrow

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